real world: post grad

On August 30 I started my full-time student teaching at Peninsula High School. I am finally still trying to get used to my schedule. Every morning I wake up at 6:15 in order to be out the door by 7:30 and at school by 7:45 because first period starts at 8 am. I am done teaching by 1:45, but I usually stick around so that I can talk to my master teacher and plan for the following day since sixth period is our prep period. After school on Mondays, Wednesdays and sometimes Fridays I try a family with three girls around to their various extra curricular activities. On Thursdays I make the drive out to Malibu to partake in my seminar class that goes along with my student teaching. My life is pretty hectic at the moment. When I do finally get home during the week (it isn't until 7:30pm usually) I have to do homework. Just like my students, whatever there homework assignment is is my homework assignment. I have to read the designated poem, novel or grammar lesson and then come up with a lesson plan whether it be discussion questions, an essay or practice worksheets. On the weekends I prepare for the coming week as well as work on the PACT (Performance Assessment of California Teachers) for my teaching credential. I do however, allot some time for fun.

Last weekend I went to the FYF Fest and the L.A. Historic Park near Chinatown. I enjoyed the summer fall heat with Aaron, Eric, Sid and Mattie while listening to different performers. Some bands we saw include: The Head & the Heart, Smith Westerns, Cults, Cold War Kids, Broken Social Scene, Girls, Dan Deacon and Explosions in the Sky. Hear is a song from my new favorite at the moment: This weekend I went to the USC vs. Utah game at the L.A. Coliseum with my mom. It was the perfect game day- sunny, clear skies and just absolutely beautiful. We even won 23-14. The games was too close for my liking though. When I left, the scoreboard read 17-23 but the Pac-12 ruled that Matt Kalil's game-saving blocked FG returned for a TD by Torin Harris counted (hence the change in score). If we want to have a chance against the other teams later in the season then we have a lot of work to do. Our defense wasn't strong. We need to work on actually blocking. Our offense, oh man. Our offense is a completely different story. We cannot rely on Marc Tyler to do all the work. Matt Barkley needs to actually throw the ball to a person, not to an empty space on the field. Our offense also needs to work on actually performing when they make down to the end zone. There were probably about three times that we should have made touchdowns. They worked so hard getting 1st downs towards the end of the field and then choked when they got there. I have faith in my Trojans, but we definitely need to see some different strategies in next week's game against Syracuse. Fight On Trojans!